One out of every two mobile subscribers owns a smartphone of some kind, and those smartphone owners average 41 apps per device, according to the latest report from Nielsen.

If those numbers sound staggering to you, consider where the mobile phone customer landscape was just one year ago. Nielsen reports that back then, just 40 percent of mobile subscribers had smartphones and that apps per device were at 32.

The study, labeled the State of the Appnation, also found that Android and iOS users make up the bulk of smartphone owners, accounting for 88 percent of people that have downloaded an app in the last 30 days.

Nielsen also found that as people download more apps, they are also spending more time with them (10 percent more), as opposed to using mobile Web browsers like Apple's Safari.

About the only stats that remain steady are the top apps in use and how often they are used. Facebook, YouTube, Android Market, Google Search, and Gmail round out the top 5 apps -- used about 39 minutes per day on average.

And of course, privacy continues to be a major concern for mobile subscribers. Upward of 73 percent of those surveyed were uneasy with how personal data was collected and 55 percent were wary to share personal information like their location.

With this study in mind, how do you think the state of "Appnation" rests? Let me know your opinions in the comments!

About the author

Joe is a seasoned Mac veteran with years of experience on the platform. He reports on Macs, iPods, iPhones and anything else Apple sells. He even has worked in Apple retail stores. He's also a creative professional who knows how to use a Mac to get the job done.
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